Of Devils and Swords
by SolidSonicTH
Summary: A fanmade prologue based on the upcoming Devil May Cry 4. Explains what brings Dante to Fortuna and frames out a potential storyline for the game. Please read and review.
1. Proposal

**Of Devils and Swords**

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Devil May Cry or any of its associated characters, they are Capcom's.

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_Family?__ Hmph__…ever since I was a kid I've had to live with the fact that I was a half-breed. __Created from the seeds of a human mother and a demon father.__ My dad was "__Sparda__"; the great demon knight who rebelled against the demon lord __Mundus__ 2000 years ago. My mother was Eva; a human woman my dad met towards the end of his life. I've got a brother…Vergil…a twin…between __us,__ we have two amulets my mother gave us when we were kids. We also have the demon swords created by our dad. He gave me the broadsword "Rebellion" and Vergil got the katana "Ya__mato". They were keepsakes passed onto__ to us before he died. Both of the blades contain his demon power that now flows through us._

_My brother and I never really got along that well. I've always…enjoyed life more than him, I guess. He's always looking for power…that next big thing for him to obtain. Years ago he tried to resurrect this ancient tower…thing that was supposedly something dad had sealed away a couple centuries ago. __Heh__…we all got played for fools on that one. He also became a brainwashed minion of __Mundus__ when he tried to invade this world. __Mundus__ turned him into a dark knight by the name of "__Nelo__ Angelo"__ who he used to try and stop me__. He vanished before I sent __Mundus__ back to the demon world. __That was a couple of years ago…I haven't seen him since then._

_But who knew that was about to change?_

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_Proposal_

"Errrawhhhh…" Dante yawned. It was morning and he had just woken up. He looked at the clock near his bed and saw it was 7:24. "Well…guess it's another day…another dollar…"

Dante rolled out of bed and made his way downstairs to the bathroom of his shop. He showered and threw on a pair of black leather pants. He made his way to the kitchen and opened his fridge.

"Pizza…pizza…oh, there it is," he said to himself, searching for his primary form of sustenance. He put two slices into the microwave and set the timer for 90 seconds. When the microwave dinged, he pulled out the plate and walked to his desk in his office.

Dante's paranormal extermination business, "Devil May Cry", hadn't seen too much traffic lately. "Man, do I even want to open today?" he mumbled, unsure if he should even bother since the flow of customers had been slow for the last few weeks. "Whatever."

He walked to the door and flipped the sign on the window from "Closed" to "Open" before returning to his desk to finish his pizza, throwing his legs onto his desk as he often does while eating. Just as he sat down, the door to the shop opened.

_Eh? __Someone here already?_ Dante thought while in mid-bite. He looked up from his pizza to see a man standing in front of him. He wore a black suit with a black necktie. His hair was slicked back smoothly and he had narrow black eyes.

"Morning," Dante said, somewhat unenthusiastically. "What brings you to my…humble shop? Demon giving you problems? Got a couple of ghosts in need of exorcising? Haunted house on top of the hill that needs a good cleaning?"

The man looked Dante straight in the eye, not really acknowledging his quips. Dante frowned when he got no reaction from this potential customer. "Alright, you seem like you've got something to say," Dante continued, a little more seriously now. "What's on your mind?"

"Are you one of the sons of Sparda…" the man began, ominously. He spoke with a proper British accent and conducted himself with class. "The one named…Dante?"

With that comment, Dante's eye twitched. He pounded his desk with his free hand and one of the drawers on the desk flipped open, popping a black handgun into the air. Dante caught the gun in mid-flight and pulled his legs off the desk, setting his pizza down in one motion. He twirled the gun on his left hand before pointing straight at the man talking to him. He gritted his teeth before speaking in a very concerned tone.

"I'm…so sick of that line. Every time I hear it, something bad happens one second later," Dante said, rage building in his voice. "First time someone said that to me, my shop got invaded with demons and the place ended up trashed. Then when I heard it again, this crazy bitch stabbed me with my own sword and then tried to toss a motorcycle at me. All that line has ever brought me is trouble…so either get the hell out or I'll have to get a mop for what I'm about to do…"

The man seemed unaffected by Dante's threat, instead stepping closer toward Dante's desk with a calm and slow walk. He walked to Dante's arm's length before gently pushing the gun down with his index finger. "You must be Dante. No one else would have his famed demon-powered gun 'Ebony'," he said. "I'm sure you'll want to hear what I have to say once I show you this…"

With that, he pulled out a long object and tossed it onto Dante's desk. Dante took a quick look at the object before instantly knowing what it was. He retracted his gun and put it into the waistband of his pants. He picked up the item and leaned back in his chair, his right foot propped against his desk.

"Where did you get this?" Dante asked, who was now interested in what the man had to say.

"Ah, so you know of the demon blade 'Yamato'…oh, of course you would; seeing as it belonged to your brother Vergil," the man said, now smiling somewhat sinisterly.

The object Dante held was a sheathed katana. The sheath was elegantly designed with ornate Japanese characters and the handle had carefully woven blue fabric wrapping around it. It was the sword given to his brother Vergil by their father, Sparda. He unsheathed the sword to reveal a mirror-polished blade. Dante carefully inspected the sword to ensure it was indeed the demon sword before putting it back into its sheath and laying it back on the table. "I'll ask again; where did you get this?" Dante repeated himself, now with a fully serious tone in his voice.

"Have you ever heard of a society called the 'Holy Order of the Sword'?" the man asked Dante. Dante slowly shook his head. "They are a legion of followers of the great demon knight Sparda based in the city known as 'Fortuna'. I myself live in a village near Fortuna as well as being a former member of their clan."

"Who would anyone form a clan just to honor what my dad did? What's the big deal with that anyway?" Dante said, perplexed by the existence of such a group.

"I can't tell you everything but if you choose to pursue this; you will find out for yourself," the man said, handing Dante a folded piece of paper. Dante unfolded it to reveal a map of a compound of some sort.

"What is this, a map?" Dante asked, still not fully understanding what the man was proposing.

"Yes, it is a map of the Order of the Sword's fortress. I was traveling in the forest nearby the fortress a week ago when I stumbled on this sword. From the teachings that I obtained when I was a member of the Order of the Sword; I recognized the sword as Yamato, one of the two demon swords Sparda brought back with him when he conquered Mundus 2000 years ago," the myseterious man explained, pausing to gauge Dante's reaction. "I was astonished to see the blade with my own eyes and, as a man who believes in omens, knew it had been placed before me for a higher reason. I sensed there was something gravely wrong with the motivations of the Order of the Sword and that they were likely responsible for the placement of the sword where I found it. I believe the Order of the Sword is planning something and it involves capturing your brother Vergil. I think he is being held hostage inside the Order of the Sword's fortress and with your demon power; I felt you were the best person to investigate."

Dante slowly nodded, looking at the sword again. "And…what's in it for you? Why should I accept your request?"

"For you, it is merely a matter of discovering what happened to your brother. I'm sure it's been on your mind since the Mallet Island incident," the man responded, saying it in such a way as to pique Dante's curiosity. "I have heard rumors that a mysterious white-haired man dressed in blue has been seen in the villages near Fortuna for the last few months, said to be wielding a katana. They have been saying that he was giving off a dark aura and that anyone who crossed him would be sure to face a grisly fate. I knew the description fit that of your brother and the connection between him and the work of the Order of the Sword was undeniable. That is why I was wandering the area near the fortress: to confirm these rumors for myself. However, as I am no longer a member of the organization; I couldn't get close enough to the source to learn everything. I want you to go to Fortuna for me to discover the truth behind what they are planning. Why they needed to capture your brother and what it is they intend to use him for; if he is indeed being held hostage by them."

Dante rocked back and forth in his chair, looking at the ceiling in silence. After a couple minutes, he returned eye contact with the man. "Okay, I'll take your job," he said, holding his hand out for a handshake. The man shook his hand then turned around to leave.

"Wait, who are you? I guess I should get your name before I do this," Dante asked, just as the man had reached for the door.

"You may call me 'Treyor' and I will meet you once you arrive in Fortuna. The map has directions on how to reach the fortress as well as how to navigate it. When you have completed this job, I will know," Treyor responded as he walked out the door.

Dante looked over the paper one more time, munching on the remainder of his pizza, before putting on an undershirt and boots. He walked over to his coatrack and took his red coat off and threw it on his right shoulder. _Fortuna, eh?_ He thought as he picked up his handguns and Rebellion broadsword. _Wonder what I got myself into this time…_

He slung the Yamato sword over his other shoulder and strolled out of his office.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_(A/N: This is just something I thought up while watching preview footage of DMC4.__ I wanted to come up with a reason why Dante would visit Fortuna in the first place not knowing what the official story is.__ I know that Vergil will probably not show up in the game so this is just__ entirely__ my idea of a prologue__ (if you're familiar with my __fanfics__; my adherence to canon is often very high so this is rather unusual for me)__. I might continue this so please leave your thoughts about it._

_Oh, about the title. Yeah, I know it makes no sense and I actually don't like it myself but I really can't think of anything better. I may __retitle__ it later but right now I just don't have any better ideas for a title.)_


	2. Arrival

**Of Devils and Swords**

_Arrival_

**3 Days Later**

Dante stood amidst a large crowd in a city square. The buildings were designed with ornate textures and held a timeless quality about them. The city overlooked the sea which was bathed in a golden sunlight. It was the coastline city of Fortuna. Dante looked over his map once more.

"Feh…I hate directions…" he mumbled, perturbed at the directions the map gave. He folded up the paper and began wandering the streets. It was about midday and everyone was out on their daily business, making it easy to find people standing out in front of stores or socializing on the streets.

With a little help, he was led to a large castle-like building set on the west side of the city. Dante looked at the map and confirmed that this was the compound of the Order of the Sword.

_So…I have to get in somehow…_ Dante thought. He looked over the area and saw a large tree with some branches draping over the castle's large stone walls. _Well…I've got two choices; either barge in and do things "my" way or lay low and play it cool…_

Dante sighed after analyzing the surroundings. The compound seemed tranquil so it wouldn't be in his best interest to generate a commotion. _Guess we're doing it the quiet way... _Dante quickly scaled the tree and over the barricade, dropping down quietly behind the wall.

"So…now what?" Dante asked himself. He pulled out his map and studied it until he saw where he was. "I guess I want to be here…" he mumbled, pointing out his destination on the map.

Dante saw some guards coming his way so he dashed into the archway of a nearby building before catching their eye. The compound was complexly laid out with many smaller buildings interwoven with cobblestone paths. The buildings themselves looked ancient and conveyed a sense of fortitude and tradition. Dante waited for the guards to turn a corner before walking out from his hiding place. From their conversation, it seemed they were going somewhere rather than patrolling the fortress.

"This stealth stuff just doesn't work well with me…" he mused to himself. Just then, he sensed someone or something was following him…something dark and evil. He whipped around and swiftly aimed his twin handguns into the shadowed corridor behind him but saw nothing. _Am I just getting too old for this?_ He thought, bewildered at his lack of perception. He carefully turned around to make his way out. But as he did, he also slowly raised his right hand and fired a single shot from Ivory into the darkness. The bullet struck something in the shadows, which let out a twisted growl.

"Jackpot…" Dante said quietly, a smile creeping across his face. He quickly drew Rebellion and spun around to face what he had just shot. "HYAHHH!!!" he cried, dashing in with his trademark Stinger stab. The sword connected with its target and pinned it to one of the walls in the corridor. Dante slowly raised his eyes to face what he had just stabbed. The being was a strange beast with sticklike legs and looked as it if its body had been patched together with the remains of other creatures. It was a hunchback with one arm that looked like a doll's and a large blade in place of its other. Its head was green and had things that seemed like tentacles growing the top of its head. It didn't seem to have a mouth or eyes and looked much like a twisted puppet. Dante stepped back as the creature crumpled to the ground before shattering like glass and vanishing.

"Huh…guess I don't have as wild an imagination as I thought," he said, picking up his sword. Suddenly; three more of the creatures materialized in the corridor behind Dante. "So…this party's got a couple more guests?" he said slyly, looking at the creatures out of the corner of his eye. One of the creatures quickly swiped at Dante's back. He flipped forward to dodge and twisted as he did, drawing both Ebony and Ivory before landing. He let loose a few rounds as soon as he saw his targets, hitting the left and middle creatures dead center and knocking them back. Dante tossed both of his guns into the air to free his hands and drew his sword, charging at the three creatures. He cut into the third creature with a quick swipe then brought his sword around from underneath the second for an uppercut slash, thrusting it into the air. Dante backflipped and grabbed his guns, which were still floating in the air, immediately firing into the creature he had just knocked into the air before he even touched the ground. The creature twisted from the myriad of bullets penetrating it, floating in air as Dante rapidly shot through it. When Dante hit the ground, the creature was destroyed leaving his two cohorts behind. Both had recovered by this point and were stalking Dante once again. Dante holstered his guns and returned to his sword, which he swung in a circular motion; slashing both his adversaries in a single swipe. The two creatures shattered like the previous two he had felled as he began to walk away. Somehow, this commotion didn't catch the attention of any of the members of the Holy Sword. In fact, the compound seemed devoid of life ever since Dante saw the two guards prior to the attack.

"So much for stealth," Dante said, brushing off his red coat and returning his sword to his back. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed what had happened, which puzzled him when he got no reaction. "Really, I expected an audience if I'm going have to get serious…" he said, sarcastically; even though he wasn't talking to anyone. Dante grew suspicious at the total lack of reaction. "I doubt I should hang around here much longer and wait for a response…" he said to himself, taking off in the direction of the back of the compound.

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After a few minutes of wandering and map-checking, Dante finally made his way to his destination; a reinforced, prison-like structure near the back end of the Holy Sword's fortress. "The holding cells…guess this is where I want to be…" he said, checking the map one last time to ensure he was at the right place. "Seems obvious once I think about it."

As he began to enter the building, two more of the demonic creatures he had fought earlier appeared out of thin air off to his sides. Dante's eyes quickly darted back and forth towards each creature. Just as the two beasts were about to grab him, Dante pulled both handguns out in a flash and began letting a barrage of bullets into both of the creatures; pushing them back with the raw force and speed of the gunfire. Dante began by firing in a cross-arm fashion before switching arms to finish them off at the same time. He holstered his guns as both of the creatures broke to pieces and faded into the wind. Once again, no one answered the call of the gunfire or the creatures' heavy groans.

"A prison with no guard? These guys really don't know how to run an outfit," Dante said, now definitely aware that there was something more afoot than met the eye. He pushed open the heavy door leading into the holding area. Inside, the dank and unwelcoming holding cells awaited him under dimly lit lamps. Dante readied his firearms to deal with any threats that were ready to strike. His footsteps echoed within the room with an eerie resonance as he examined his surroundings. It was almost as if he knew what to do and let his intuition guide him through the dark holding area. As he reached a door on the other side of the large room, the lights cut out.

"So…I'm expected I take it," Dante called out to whoever was waiting in the now pitch-black room. The sounds of cloaked assailants began creeping toward Dante in the darkness. A distinct scraping sound could be heard, meaning that the bladed-arm beings were in pursuit. "Let's make this interesting…" Dante said, excitedly.

Dante backflipped into the center of the room and unleashed a torrent of gunfire in all directions. The bullets all hit their marks as Dante could hear the creatures groaning as the bullets pierced them through the darkness. The muzzle flash of his twin pistols lit the dark room up briefly with each shot. Dante spun in place, firing in a range of creative ways to hit his unseen targets.

"Woo hoo…yeah!!" Dante cried, holstering Ebony and Ivory and pulling Rebellion off his back. He let loose with a series of fast slashes into the milky black to clean out any remaining adversaries. When he had stopped slicing, the lights in the room came back on. Dante looked around and saw no less than 10 of the mysterious creatures surrounding his position. All of them seemed to be frozen in place following Dante's assault. "Breakdown…" he whispered. As he said that, all 10 of the beings fragmented and shattered, clearing the way for Dante. He made his way back to the door he was heading toward originally and pulled it open. Inside, a long and barely-lit staircase awaited him. "Down, down, down we go…I wonder what's behind door number 2…" Dante joked to himself as he began to work his way down into the unknown.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_(A/N: Okay, made a second chapter. __Some commentary._

_If you've watched the preview footage or seen the screenshots of DMC4, you would recognize the enemies in my story. I tried to describe them the best I could but none of the screenshots I've seen have been clear enough to make an accurate depiction. However, I'm satisfied that this will get the point across._

_I'm not sure how long I want to make this story but it will be at least 3 chapters long with a possible 4__th__ chapter depending on how in-depth I want to go with this prologue. I'm trying my best not to cross over into too much known info so I don't end up creating conflicts with what we've already seen of the game. Stay tuned for more and, as always, please review and leave thoughts.)_


	3. Reunion

**Of Devils and Swords**

_Reunion_

_(A/N: Warning, LOT of talking in this chapter.)_

Dante cautiously walked down the staircase leading into the holding area's basement. The steps were wet from moisture falling from ceiling and the basement smelled of stagnant water. Dante could see toward the bottom, where some sunlight was shining into the basement from a grate near the ceiling, which was at ground level.

"Eugh…wouldn't want to spend much time here," Dante said to himself. He reached the bottom, which was lined with a single row of holding cells. He surveyed the area briefly before he sensed danger coming from nearby. Dante quickly aimed his guns in the direction of the potential threat…

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_Nnnngh__…what…what was that?_ A lone prisoner thought, aroused by the sound of someone in the basement. He was fatigued and just regained consciousness. As he came back to his senses, he began to hear the distinct sound of gunfire and metal colliding with metal. The captive slowly opened his eyes to see the faint outline of a red blur cutting through a group of mysterious apparitions. He could see the red figure swinging what looked like a large sword. After the man in red kicked one of the beings away then ran him through with a dashing stab, there was silence…until the stranger kicked open the cell door holding the prisoner.

"So…this is where you've been staying? And you never bother to write," said the man in red in a familiar voice. With two swift swipes, he cut down the arm shackles holding the prisoner, freeing him from his bindings. The prisoner sat down against the wall. "Really…I've seen you look better, Verg…" the man said, mockingly.

"I don't want to hear it," the prisoner responded. "What are you doing here…Dante?"

"Thought I might ask you the same thing, Vergil…" Dante responded to his brother. "Oh, and I brought you this…" he continued, tossing the Yamato katana at Vergil.

Vergil caught the sheathed sword in his left hand and when he did, a black aura began resonating from the half-demon. Vergil was wearing a long, dark turquoise trenchcoat that ran down to his shins. It was fairly tattered from his stay in the prison but still buttoned at the front. His white hair was somewhat messy but still mostly slicked back as he had always worn it. He glared at Dante.

"You're so cold…you really need to lighten up…" Dante said, keeping his ever-relaxed attitude. Just then, he heard more of the grotesque beasts materializing behind him. He drew his guns and slowly turned to face his enemies. But as he did, Vergil got off the ground and began walking toward the cell door.

"Stand aside, brother…" he said, not looking at Dante. Dante shrugged and stepped off to Vergil's right side to allow Vergil access to the beasts. There three of the bladed-arm creatures standing on the staircase in front of Vergil's cell and they were slowly advancing toward the demon brothers. Vergil suddenly entered his demon form before Dante's eyes and confronted the three beasts. Demon energy was pouring out of demonic-looking entity and he stood with his hand on Yamato's handle. The three creatures lunged at the demon Vergil but, in an instant, he had his sword drawn and was standing behind the three creatures. He had phased through all three in a moment faster than a blink and had frozen the three beasts in mid-motion. Vergil was standing in the ready position with his sword drawn to his right. He appeared as if he had just completed a slash but if he had, it was completely unseen to the naked eye. Vergil slowly returned to a full standing position and returned his katana to its sheath. When the distinctive "click" of the katana locking back into its sheath was heard, the three creatures broke apart and exploded like glass. When the katana was back in its sheath; Vergil returned to his normal state. As a result of being his demon form, Vergil's clothes were mysteriously returned to pristine condition as if he had never been in the prison. Dante could be heard from behind Vergil slowly clapping.

"Heh…seems you still got that going for you after all these years…" Dante said, congratulating his brother on the quick kill. Vergil didn't acknowledge the compliment, instead choosing to repeat his question from before. He didn't turn around to face Dante as he spoke.

"Dante…why are you here?" Vergil asked in a stern tone. "And why did you have this sword?"

"Aw…when I heard you were on vacation and didn't invite me, I just couldn't resist tracking you down and paying a visit. Thought I'd bring a present while I was at it," Dante remarked in a comedic tone, in contrast to his brother's cold voice.

"How did you know I was here?" Vergil continued on his line of questioning.

"A little birdie told me, how else?" he responded. "Really…for all the noise you make about being a half-devil; getting caught and thrown in jail doesn't seem like something that would happen so easily."

Vergil clenched his sword tightly. "I didn't plan on being thrown in jail, brother. I was overpowered," he explained, slowly turning around to face Dante. "I was making my way to this fortress about a week ago following a lead about the Order of the Sword. I came to Fortuna about 3 months ago to investigate what this clan was. I had finally gotten enough information to come here but when I did, I was ambushed when I got near the fortress. I would have reacted and eliminated them but whatever attacked me also suppressed my demon powers, rendering me weak and unable to defend myself. I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke, I was locked in here."

Dante looked around the prison with a smug look. "You spent a week here? Damn…I couldn't last 10 minutes without completely wrecking this place…"

"Obviously they had separated me from Yamato," Vergil continued. "Seeing as my demonic powers are deeply linked to it, as are your powers to Rebellion, I wasn't able to escape for the last week. However, they didn't want me to die as they kept me alive instead of simply killing me; which leads me to believe they need me for another reason."

Dante suddenly grew interested in what Vergil had to say. "'Needed you'? Huh…sounds kind of familiar…"

"Oh…why is that?" Vergil asked, curious as to what Dante knew.

"The guy who sent me here said that he thought they were going to use you for something…in fact, its why I'm here in the first place…" Dante said, thoughtfully.

"You were sent here?" Vergil said, suddenly very concerned. "By whom?"

"Strange guy…" Dante responded, recalling his meeting with the mysterious man who had asked him to take this job. "Spoke real proper…called himself 'Treyor'…don't remember too much about him."

Vergil's eyes lit up when he heard the name of the client. "'Treyor'?!" he said "You say the person who sent you here was named 'Treyor'?"

"Yeah…what, he a friend of yours?" Dante responded, not understanding Vergil's sudden concern. Vergil was obviously very familiar with the name and his tension was quickly growing.

"Dante…you were deceived," he said when he had calmed down. "I understand now why I was kept alive for the last week."

"Bro…what aren't you telling me?" Dante asked, now equally as concerned as Vergil.

"Brother, have you not heard of Treyor before?" he asked.

"I was never good with homework; that was your thing. You tell me."

"Treyor is the reason I'm here," Vergil began. "Through my research of the Order of the Sword, his name began surfacing in myths and speculation about the group. Connecting the name, I learned this man is not a man at all…but a demon."

Dante raised his eyebrow when he heard this information. "He served as a general in Mudus' army for eons," Vergil continued. "In fact, he fought alongside Mundus when our father vanquished him and his legions back to the demon realm. However, he remained loyal to the demon lord even after being sent back to the other side…that is until 500 years ago. Treyor tried to rebel against Mundus and gathered together a legion of mutinous demons to aid him and claim the demon world for his own. All his allies were slaughtered by Mundus' own forces except for Treyor himself. Instead of executing him as well; Mundus chose to exile Treyor to the human world rather than destroy him."

"So? Why's that so bad?" Dante remarked.

"Through practice of the dark arts and studying ancient texts, Treyor was able to restore his demon powers even in the human world," Vergil said. "He has held resentment towards Mundus ever since and someday hopes to his revenge…the Order of the Sword is the key to that plot. The Order of the Sword is a façade. Their leader is fake, likely possessed by Treyor, who speaks through him. The Order of the Sword is lead by Treyor, in actuality. I take it you've seen the demons lurking around here?"

"Yeah…was a portal opened recently?"

"They are not demons, but rather puppets created by Treyor's demon magic. They are used to silence anyone getting too close to the truth. Treyor's control of the Order of the Sword is in complete secrecy; the only people who believe he is the leader have only speculated as much. However, since he had to artificially regain his demon power; it is limited. He is running out of time…"

"Out of time until what?"

"Until his demon power completely expires and thus prevents him from completing his final plans. The Order of the Sword is actually an organization that serves Treyor under the guise of followers of Sparda. In truth, Treyor intends to use the followers of the clan to exact his revenge against Mundus. When the time arrives, he will transform the followers of this clan into demon warriors that serve him. They will join him in battle against the demon forces of Mundus. The followers of the clan have no idea what he is planning and are truly dedicated followers of Sparda. The work they do now is merely training for the day when Treyor transforms them to fight for him."

"It sounds like a big family feud; why should we care what happens next?" Dante said, sounding less interested once he found out the whole story.

"Because, brother…Treyor plans to use the human world as the battlefield on which to settle his eternal rivalry with Mundus," Vergil said. "The winner of the conflict will be able to become ruler of not only the demon world, but the human realm as well. But since Treyor's powers are weakening; he may never get that chance…which is why he lured you here and why he kept me alive instead of simply doing away with me. He intends to use our powers to restore his own and bring his plot to full circle. With his body restored, he'll have enough power to carry out the transformation of his followers and open the gate to begin his war with Mundus."

Vergil straightened out his hair and turned around to leave the basement of the holding area. "Our only option is to prevent Treyor from capturing us to siphon our power in order to fuel his own; in turn also preventing the demon war," he concluded. "This world will be doomed unless he cannot be allowed to open the portal. Treyor himself must be defeated or he will continue his efforts bring forth this war until the end of time."

"Since when did you turn into such a goody-goody? That's usually my role…" Dante asked Vergil.

"Because…while I don't necessarily care for this world; I cannot allow Mundus to reenter this realm…not after what he did to me last time," Vergil said, coldly and with vengeance in his voice. "I will do anything I can to prevent him from ever seeing light in the human realm again; even if that means protecting them from another threat. Treyor lured you here so we would both be here at the same time; making it easy for us to be captured and sacrificed to empower him."

"Well, sounds like you've got a lot to do and I guess you still owe me for saving your ass when Mundus had you doing his dirty work," Dante said to Vergil, who had already begun climbing the steps out of the basement. "Where do you want me?"

"If you want to help, I'd advise you start searching for an item…" Vergil said, only turning his head to acknowledge his brother. "As I was researching, a recurring theme kept coming up. Apparently there are two elements of power necessary to reopen the gate to the demon world from this side. One is called the 'Celestial Light' and the other is called the 'Devil Bringer'. When brought together, apparently they form the key and lock to the demon world and will allow Treyor to bring Mundus' forces into our world for their battle. It would buy us some time to find both of these items and separate them until we can bring Treyor to us. I will search for the Celestial Light; you can find the Devil Bringer. Both are apparently held somewhere in this fortress."

"Any ideas where to look?" Dante asked, looking for a hint.

"I would suggest starting in the main hall. The Order of the Sword is holding a ceremony there right now and you may find the Devil Bringer there," Vergil responded. "But…do not hold back…do whatever it takes to retrieve the Devil Bringer."

Dante was perturbed by his brother's advice. "What? But they're human! I don't fight humans!" he objected.

"It doesn't matter!" Vergil retorted. "Even though they are human, the Order of the Sword are pawns under Treyor's hand. They may seem benign now but Treyor is plotting to use them against this world whether or not they want to. Stop at nothing to prevent him from bringing about the apocalypse…I know it doesn't agree with your way of doing things but it must be done…if you want to save this realm, sacrifices must be made."

Dante scowled at the thought of having to attack humans in order to aid his brother. "…Fine…" he said quietly. With that, Vergil left; leaving Dante alone in the basement.

_This isn't how I do things…I don't fight humans…_ Dante thought, trying to convince himself to carry out Vergil's wish. _Normally I'd just leave Vergil to his own dealings and I wouldn't bloody my hands over this…but if what he's saying is true, I won't have much choice but to get dragged into this…_

He sighed and pulled out Ebony, looking it over as if he were readying his mind. _Guess now better than later…_

He re-holstered his gun and began to make his way out of the basement.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_(A/N: Woo! What a long chapter. Sorry for all the talk but I felt it was necessary to really lay out where I was going with this story. I'll try to get some action going in the next chapter. Since it might have been confusing; here's a short summary if you didn't really follow:_

_Dante saves Vergil from the Order of the Sword's compound and gives him back Yamato. Vergil says that Dante was lured here by the guy who asked him to take the job. He says that __Treyor__ brought them both there to steal their demon power to give him enough power to change the Order of the Sword's soldiers into a demon legion that will help him exact his revenge against __Mundus__Treyor__ used to be a general under __Mundus__ until he exiled him from the demon world for trying to start a coup against him 500 years ago. __Treyor__ wants to lure __Mundus__ into a battle in the human world for absolute control of both the human and demon worlds. Dante is asked by Vergil to retrieve a necessary item to __Treyor's__ plot called the 'Devil Bringer'…and I think you can see where this is going next.)_


End file.
